So excited right now!!! It was just officially announced that ERDEM x H&M Collection is hitting the stores on November 2nd, and I hope you are ready for line-up madness, because this collection looks LIT! Sorry, I don’t usually use words like “lit”, but I simply had to. A dreamy Baz Luhrmann teaser film was released today, and you can catch glimpses of the collection in it – the signature Erdem florals, a leopard print faux fur coat, printed silk PJs, pleats, and more. I can’t wait to see the lookbook and make my shopping wishlist…I anticipate that I’ll be adding a few party frocks (and that printed PJ set) to my closet come November.

The ERDEM x H&M collection will also mark the first time that the Canadian-born, London-based designer will be creating a menswear collection. “I’m so happy to collaborate with H&M, and to explore my work on a whole new scale including a menswear collection which I have never done before. It’s also such a thrill to work with Baz Luhrmann, on of the most important storytellers of our time”, says Erdem.

As a huge fan of Erdem Moralioglu and his designs, I am now super excited for November! Are you? Share in the comments.

A few days ago le bf and I set off on a mini road trip in a brand new 2017 Ford Edge Titanium as part of the Ford Positive Connections program aimed to help bring people together on Best Friend’s Day (which also happens to be my birthday!) through a fun curated trip. First stop? Toronto Premium Outlets, because what’s a birthday weekend without a little #treatyoself?! With a few purchases from Saks Off 5th, J.Crew and Nike outlets piled up in the trunk, we jumped back into the car, and took the scenic route to Cambridge, Ontario. We drove by parks, farms, and fields, while the cooled leather seats kept us nice and comfortable, and the SYNC 3 system played my fave road trip playlist (mostly BSB, because I obviously have a great taste in music). Before we knew it, we were pulling into the picturesque Langdon Hall.

Since this was le bf’s first time at Langdon Hall, we did a quick tour of the property before settling into some comfy patio chairs with celebratory cocktails. With conversation flowing, the view of Langdon Hall’s main house in front of us, and the soft afternoon light in our faces, it was exactly what we needed after a few hectic weeks of all work and no play in the city. The next day, after a leisurely country table breakfast and a little R&R time by the pool, we packed our bags, checked out of our beautiful room and headed to Downtown Cambridge.

Back in town, we discovered that Cambridge was one of the filming locations for the Hulu show The Handmaid’s Tale (a current fave!). The bridge where the protest scene was filmed, the infamous hanging wall – both are super recognizable and we were so excited to have unexpectedly stumbled upon it. Needless to say, we were totally geeking out. After taking a million photos, we walked over to the nearby auto show, drooling over the vintage Ford Mustangs from the 60s and 70s (next year’s birthday present, perhaps?). We grabbed a couple of delicious Portuguese donuts from Malasada World, and hit the road.

The ride back to Toronto felt quick and easy, and since we had our Ford SUV for the weekend, we drove it from the house to Bar Isabel for yet another birthday celebration. It handled beautifully in the city, just like it did in the countryside. Le bf especially loved the car’s Personal Safety System that alerted us whenever another car was moving nearby unsafely, which came in handy a few times in the busy downtown Toronto. My favourite Ford Edge feature was definitely the cooled front seats – perfect if you like to drive with windows down, while keeping the rest of your body nice and cool.

Once the weekend came to an end and it was time to say good-bye to “our” Ford, I felt a little sad but very thankful for a lovely weekend of re-connecting with le bf and exploring new places together. I guess it’s never too soon to start planning our next road trip this summer!

I was about to write a ragey post about all of the boring and unimaginative looks from this year’s Met Gala (I’m looking at you Gwyneth Paltrow/Salma Hayek/Jessica Chastain/etc), literally shaking my head at all of the A-listers who showed up in prom-wear even though they have access to top tier designers…but then I decided not to. Instead, here are my favourite looks: Rihanna flawless in Comme des Garcons, Solange in Thom Browne, my new fave Ruth Negga in Valentino, Pharrell and Helen Lasichanh cool as always in Comme des Garcons, and Cara Delevingne in CHANEL Haute Couture. Of course, there were a few other standouts – Lily-Rose Depp in CHANEL Haute Couture looked both perfectly age-appropriate and interesting at the same time, Zendaya looked smashing in a Dolce and Gabbana ball gown, Tracee Ellis Ross was dressed perfectly appropriate for the night in Comme des Garcons, and Lily Collins looked both edgy and sweet in Giambattista Valli.

If I had to pick a few looks for the Worst Dressed list, I would choose Gisele Bundchen in a forgettable dress styled with a pony tail (why even bother?!?!), Gwyneth Paltrow in an ill-fitting minimalistic Calvin Klein that was so offensive to me on a night honouring Rei Kawakubo, and Bella, Gigi, Kendall, and Hailey – all for different reasons, but all missing the mark. Sarah Jessica Parker was noticeably absent this evening…prompting an instagram treasure hunt and conspiracy theories. I for one, missed her creative interpretation of the theme. And though, admittedly, I don’t always love what she wears to the Met Gala, at least she’s never ever boring.

What did you think of “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between” red carpet? Share your fave looks in the comments.

It’s become a bit of a spring ritual for me, waiting for the H&M Conscious Exclusive collection images to drop, knowing that I’ll most likely want it all (or at least the majority of the collection), and this year is no exception. As always, the Conscious collection is chock-full of perfect party frocks and standout accessories, all made of sustainable materials.

“For this year’s Conscious Exclusive collection at H&M, we thought not only about the look of the pieces, but also how they feel and sound. It’s a collection to please all our senses, and also our desire to be sustainable in everything we do,” says Pernilla Wohlfahrt, H&M’s Head of Design and Creative Director. And while I don’t know how the 2017 collection feels and sounds, it sure does look amazing. Currently on my wishlist is the pink sequined cocktail dress, a pair of statement earrings made out of recycled glass and plastic, and a frilly frock with a delicate hand-drawn print. I am also contemplating several other pieces…but will have to see how they look in real life.

H&M Conscious Exclusive Spring 2017 Collection will be hitting the stores (and online) on April 20th, prices ranging from USD 12.99 to USD 399, and will include a selection of styles for kids and a set of fragrances for the very first time.

If you are in need of a few exceptional pieces to wear this spring/summer, then you must check out the lookbook images below. Share your thoughts in the comments.

As February comes to a close, I look around my closet and realise that I’ve been pretty much wearing the same few pieces all winter long – same few sweaters paired with denim or work pants, and same few sweater dresses worn with fleece-lined tights. It’s not super creative, but I guess it’s a winter uniform that keeps me feeling warm and looking put-together during the cold winter months.

This season, I was very lucky to find a few of those perfect knitwear pieces that I get complimented on time and time again, and that I can totally see myself wearing for years to come (with a little TLC), which is why I’m so thankful for Ultra Downy Free & Gentle Liquid Fabric Conditioner. Truth be told, fabric softener is a fairly new discovery for me. For years, I didn’t see the importance of using it, until someone put it this way: detergent is like shampoo for your clothes, while fabric softener is like conditioner. You wouldn’t skip conditioner after shampooing your hair, so why not follow the same logic when washing your clothes?!

Once I started using Downy Fabric Conditioner, I noticed a huge difference in the way my clothes (and especially knits) look and feel. I no longer have to worry about washing my favourite knitwear pieces, because Downy Fabric Conditioner protects clothes at the fibre level to reduce damage from daily wear and frequent washing, which can prematurely age your clothes. When fibres are conditioned, they’re protected against stretching, fading, and pilling, giving you an extra season or two out of your favourite pieces. Even knitwear pros at We Are Knitters trust Downy Fabric Conditioner with their knits!

Thanks to Downy even my most frequently worn (and washed) sweaters look like new, and hopefully will continue to do so year after year.

What about you? Do you use Downy Fabric Conditioner to protect your knits? Share in the comments.

It’s no secret that Valentine’s Day is one of my favourite days of the year. I live for the cutesy boxes of candy and chocolates, can never say no to a cheesy teddy bear or two, and want to buy (and wear) heart prints all day every day during the month of February. Regardless of whether I’m coupled up or blissfully single, Valentine’s Day has always been my jam. Needless to say, I don’t mess around when it comes to planning my Valentine’s Day outfit and activities. Below are some of my personal Valentine’s Day tips, in case you need a few ideas.

1. #ChooseToSmoothWhile I don’t generally encourage people to go out bare-legged in February, Valentine’s Day is certainly an exception to the rule. Wintertime can be quite rough on skin in general, and while some people use this time to let their leg hair grow wild, I find that shaving my legs regularly helps keep my skin nice and smooth, especially when I use Gillette Venus Swirl razor and shave gel. Venus razors are specifically designed for women’s curves with 5 individually adjusting Contour blades, and give me a quick (but long-lasting) shave, while gently exfoliating the skin all at the same time. And even when I’m too lazy to use the shaving gel, the water-activated MoistureGlide serum provides enough glide for a smooth and comfortable shave. As a result, my legs look and feel great during those rough winter months whether I’m grinning and baring it for Valentine’s Day, doing Barre on weekends, or just lounging around the house with le bf.

2. Plan Ahead
If you plan to go out on Valentine’s Day, then making a reservation ahead of time is key. Most restaurants will have various Valentine’s Day specials, but if you take too long, your options may be quite limited. If you’d like to try something new, Lavelle (where these photos were taken) is one of the city’s most beautiful new restaurants, with super romantic views of the city and a Valentine’s Day menu to drool for. Pre-buy your tickets online, and enjoy a (stress-free) romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.

First things first…H&M CANADA ONLINE SHOPPING HAS FINALLY LAUNCHED!!! And if you sign up to be on the brand’s mailing list, you will receive 20% off your purchase and free shipping until Oct 30th! What this means for those who are looking to shop the KENZO x H&M collection? Well, you just got an alternative to lining up in the middle of the night. But don’t rely on online shopping as your only way of getting those coveted pieces – sites are known to crash due to high demand.

Now that I got that off my chest (seriously, I’ve been waiting for H&M online shop for AGES!), we can look at Elizabeth Olsen’s amazing KENZO x H&M getup. These two pajama-inspired pieces are at the top of my list, and I love how she styled them with a pair of velvet heels. So perfect. For those who have yet to embrace pajamas as daywear, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. It’s comfy and chic, and I am all about it. Obviously, Lupita Nyong’o also looks super gorgeous in that amazing printed dress, but in this instance, my eyes are permanently glued to Elizabeth Olsen’s outfit.

Are you excited about H&M Canada online shopping being available??? Do you love the pajama trend? Share in the comments!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve been obsessed with this Drake’s for J.Crew pajama outfit for a while now, so, of course, as soon as the collection landed in stores, I snapped it up. And while most people wouldn’t consider wearing silk pajamas to a fancy party, I wore mine to the Nordstrom Eaton Centre store opening, and spent the night saying “thank you”, because this outfit was a huge hit. Props to J.Crew for making a comfy outfit look and feel so exquisite.

But enough about my amazing PJs, let’s talk about Nordstrom! That store is a joy to shop in, and I’m really excited about its arrival in Toronto (they carry Madewell, y’all!). With a stunning shoe department full of both high-end and more affordable designer names, several fancy boutiques like Miu Miu and Loewe, a monogramming station (something I’ll surely be using come Christmas shopping season), an Alexander Wang shop-in-shop, and my new obsession – Sugarfina candy (the Jamaican Rum Snowballs are thebomb.com), this store has become my must-visit in the city, and pretty soon, there’s going to be a second location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre!

If you’d like to celebrate the opening of Nordstrom’s second Toronto location, make sure to grab your tickets before they sell out! The Nordstrom Yorkdale Shopping Centre Gala will take place on October 19th at 7pm, and gala proceeds will be donated to several charitable foundations. More details can be found here. See you there?

The full Kenzo x H&M Collection lookbook is here and it’s fun-tastic! With lots of mixed prints, layers upon layers of colourful dresses and separates, and some really cool outerwear, this collection has something for everyone, but mostly, this is a collection tailor-made for all the maximalists out there.

My personal wishlist seems to be growing with every viewing. I love the combination of zebra and regular stripes, the fuzzy green turtleneck, and that dress with the honeycomb pattern mixed with florals looks pretty amazing too. I also NEED that entire outfit in photo #4 – a turtleneck and matching pants of my dreams. There’s lots more to drool over, but I’ll reserve final judgement until I see photos of individual pieces…it’s not always easy to determine which items are layered and which are shown as-is.

The collection will be available in stores on November 3rd, and I can’t wait. What about you? Are you going to line up for Kenzo x H&M? Share in the comments.

One more outfit post from our amazing getaway to Prince Edward County with Lincoln MKZ. On our final night, I got all dolled up for dinner with le bf, only to end the night barefoot and playing ping pong outside of the Drake Devonshire. My feet were black when we got back to the room. Sorry for that visual. But that probably describes PEC the best – there’s the quiet luxury of places like Drake Devonshire, coupled with homey comfort of various Inns, local ice-cream parlours, and beach shacks. It truly has become one of my favourite Ontario getaways and I hope we can return as soon as possible.

Have you ever visited The County? Share your experiences after the jump!

WHAT I WORE

WHO IS NELIA?

Nelia Belkova is a Toronto-based fashion and lifestyle blogger by night and a financial analyst by day. She loves to travel, read gossip sites, eat sweets, and cuddle up to her husband and her cat on the couch. Read More…